Bake pan unit



Dec. 13, 1966 M. KAUFMAN 3,291,334

BAKE PAN mm:

Filed Des. 20, 1965 2 IN Vl-ZNTOR.

Morris K0ufmcm Ar'rorne United States Patent O 3,291,334 BAKE PAN UNK'1 Morris Kaufman, Morton Grove, 111., assignoxr to American Blume Producis Corporation, New York, N.Y. a corporation 01 Delaware Fi1ed Dec. 20, 1965, Ser. N0. 524,993 1 Claim. (C1. 220-232) This invention relates to a hake pan unit and more particularly to a pan unit especially designed for use in conjunction with machines which deliver shaped lu1nps of dough to the pans of such a unit While said pans are successively moved toward and avvay from stationary position for receiving said lumps of dough.

lt is an ohject of this invention to provide a pan unit for the purpose indicated having novel means incorporated therein for establishing the stationary position of each pan as it arrives in registry With the dough depositing mechan- 1sm.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present invention will becorne apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the invention taken in conjunction with the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top perspective view of a hake pan unit having a strapping member provided With a side index feature according to this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the unit shown in FIG. l.

FIG. 3 is a vertical section taken along hne 31-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 4-4 of FIG 2.

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of a typical loaf mould ing and automatic panning device showing a pan unit according to this invention in a position to accept an article of dough as delivered hy said device.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view shovving the pan unit in operative relationship with the indexing mechanism of the automatic panning device shown in FIG 5.

A hake pan unit typifying the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, includes a series of haking pans each having a hottorn Wall 10 of rectangular plan surrounded by upstanding side walls 11 and end Walls 12. Encircling the Walls 11 and 12 of each pan and crirnped within a flange 13 provided along the upper portion of the Walls 11 and 12 is a wire 14 which produces a continuous outstanding reinforcing or stixfening bead along the upper periphery cf each of the pans in the pan unit. The pans are secured in spaced apart relation With the end Walls 12 in alignment hy rneans of a metal strap ping mernher 15 positioned along and secured in fixed position against the walls of the pans which define the outer periphery of the pan unit. The strapping member 15, as shown in the drawings, is secured to the walls of the pans opposite thereto hy suitahle fastening means. As shown in the drawings, a welded connection 16 is effective to establish the pans and strapping member in fixed relation. Spacer 11a of any suitahle design and con struction are mounted hetween the side Walls of the pans and fixed thereto in any suitahle manner.

While the strapping mernher thus provides pan wall encompassing arms along the end Walls of the assemhly, it also serves to reinforce the area of the pan warls enclosed thereby, T0 augment such reinforcement, the upper edge of the strap is rehent upon itself to define a hollow bead 17 which is preferably positioned in close underlying relation to the reinforcing head along the upper cdge of the pans. A similar bead 18 provided along the lower edge of the strap also aids in adding rigidity to the assembly as weil as to define a downwardly facing shoulder for limiting the depth of nesting of the hake pan unit Within a subjacent pan unit of similar size and shape, as desired when storing 3,201334 Patened Dec. 13, 1966 Ece the ernpty pan units in stacked relation. T he headed edges 17 and 18 accordingly provided in the strapping mernber, it Will be noted, occupy positions in outwardly oifset relation to the area of the strapping rnember between said edges. The area of the strapping thus hridging the distance between said edges 17 and 18 presents a suhstantially planar upright surface throughout the total exposed area of the strapping rnemher except for an outwardly oifset upright rib 19 formed integrally vvith the strapping mernher 15 at locations spaced apart horizontally a distance matching the center-to-center distance of the end Walls of the pans. The rib 19, as shown in FIG 6, provides a detent for releasable engagernent hy indexing means 20 for stopping the pans in regist1y with dough depositing mechanism, designated generally hy reference numeral 21 in FIG. 5. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 a conveyor helt 22 acting in conjunction With pulleys, such as puiley 23, delivers the pan unit into receiving relation to the discharge end of a conveyor 24 oecupying a position in everhead relation to the area occupied by the pan unit. While the rib 19 of a selected pan of the pan unit is thus engaged hy the indexing means 20, the pan unit is detained so as to hold the pan with Which the engaged rib 19 is associated in a position to accept a lump of dough 25 frorn said conveyor 24 via a downwardly and forwardly inclined run 26 of the conveyor 24. A spring 28 normally urges the indexing means 20 into an advanced position for engaging the rib 19 as shown in FIG. 6. However, control mechanisn1 which responds to energization of an electric circuit via closing of a switch 29 is operative upon such energization to overcome the resistance of spring 23 and thereby withdraw the indexing rneans 20 and thus free the pan unit fron1 engagernent with said indexing means. Operation of the switch 29 to so energize the circuit to the comtrol mechanisrn of the indexing means is eflected hy rocking rnovernent o1" a pivoted vane 30 frorn an upward position to a lowered position. As shown in FIG. 5, as the dough piece 25 slides down the inclined portion 26 0f the convcyor Z4, it deflects the vane 30 into said lowered osition whereupon the switch 29 is actuated to energize the circuit controlling withdrawal of the indexing n1eans out of engagement With the pan unit. A spring 31 normal1y urges the vane to occupy an upward position. Accordingly vane 30 upon return t0 such upward position operates the switch to deenergize the circuit controlling withdrawal of the indexing means whereupon the pan unit is re-engaged by the indexing 1neans as shown in FIG. 6 so as to detain the pan unit in a position to present a succeeding pan in readiness to receive a succeeding lurnp of dough 25. When the succeeding lump of dough 25 engages the vane 30 so as to deflect the same and therehy operate the switch 29 to energize the circuit to the controls associated with the indexing means, the operation of the indexing means to release the pan unit is repeated.

While FIG. 6 of the drawings discloses only a p0rtion of the hake pan unit along one side of the path travelled by the unit While undergoing indexing action hy an indexing memher 20, it is to he understood that FIG. 6, if extended to reveal the full Width of the pan unit as Well as the portion of the apparatus at the side opposite to that as presently revealed in FIG. 6, W0uld disclose a duplicate portion of the hake pan unit as having a rib 19 at locations on the strapping 1nemher spaced apart horizontally a distance matching the center-tocenter distance of the end Walls 12 of the pans, and would disclose an indexing mernher for engagement by said ]atter ribs 19 Which duplicates the indexing memher 20 shown in FIG. 6.

What is claimed is:

A hake pan unit adapted for use With high speed loaf moulding and automatic panning equipment wherein 1oaf placement in said unit is timed with arrival of said unit between indexing fingers movahle between advanced and vertically spaced apart positions parallel to said path of 10 travel, each strap member presenting a substantially planar upright surface throughout the entire exposed area of said strap mernber between said beads except for an outwardly ofiset upright 1'ib formed integrally with said strap member at locations spaced apart a distance matching the centerto-center distance of said pans to thereby provide means engageable with said indexing fingers to stop movement of said pan unit along said path of travel when said fingers are in advanced position.

N0 references cited.

LOUIS G. MANCENE, Primary Examiner.

J. B. MARBERT, Assistant Examiner. 

